


Merry Birthday

by Gorgeous Nerd (gorgeousnerd)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-27
Updated: 2010-06-27
Packaged: 2017-10-10 07:12:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/97061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gorgeousnerd/pseuds/Gorgeous%20Nerd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which two birthdays are celebrated, and Castiel looks ridiculous.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Merry Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> This is a birthday fic for my awesome mom. Happy birthday, Mommers! ♥ (Also on [LJ](http://community.livejournal.com/chomalfoyfics/33242.html) and [DW](http://firmament.dreamwidth.org/27019.html).)

"Blow out your candle."

Sam squinted at the cupcake in his hand. It was pure Hostess: chocolate, cream filling, chocolate frosting on top. Dean had managed to find a candle of a half-naked woman to take up most of the top.

"You like it?" Dean asked, as wax dripped down the woman's head. "The more it burns, the more clothes she loses."

Sam laughed. "Leave it to you."

He sucked in air, but before he could exhale, the flame disappeared, leaving a trail of smoke behind.

Dean groaned. "Cas, you ruined his wish."

"Sorry?"

Sam glanced over his shoulder. Sure enough, Castiel stood next to the beds, trenchcoat and tie and stubble intact.

"Never mind," Dean said. "What's going on?"

Castiel's head tilted. "You called. Asked me to come."

"You called him?" Sam asked.

"I thought he'd use the freaking door."

"But…" Castiel sagged a bit. "I thought it was urgent."

Sam clapped a hand on his shoulder. "It's my birthday. I guess he thought I'd want to see a friend."

"Are visits customary on birthdays?"

"Depending on who you talk to." He held up his cupcake for Castiel to see, and gingerly extracted the melting girl from the top. Once she was on the table, he broke it into messy thirds, crumbs falling to his feet as the aroma of sugar spread in the air. "You like chocolate?"

Castiel didn't answer, but stared as if the cupcake held the answers to every question in the world.

"Hey, Cas," Dean said, accepting a piece of the cupcake from Sam and tossing it in his mouth. As usual, it didn't stop him from talking. "When's your birthday?"

"I came into being before the use of your modern calendar. Or any official measurements of time."

Sam extended another piece, and Castiel took it, but he didn't eat. Sam watched as the frosting melted on Castiel's fingers.

Dean walked up to Sam with a twinkle in his eye. The kind that told Sam he was up to no good whatsoever.

-

Sam forgot about the look until mid-December, when Dean eyed the contents of a gas station thoughtfully.

"Which makes you think of Cas more?" Dean said, nudging Sam. "Big Booties, or Busty Asian Beauties?"

"I…neither. Why?"

"No reason."

Sam put down the water bottle he clutched and crossed his arms. "Don't tell me this is another quest to get Cas laid."

"No. But now that you mention it--"

"Dean."

"Fine," Dean said. "I thought Christmas could be Cas's birthday."

"Christmas? Why Christmas?"

"I dunno. I thought the whole Jesus bit worked for him."

"Really?"

Dean shrugged. His eyes flickered toward the mini Christmas tree on the counter, and Sam thought of the Christmas Dean insisted they share before he'd gone to Hell. Yeah, maybe part of the season had been spent killing pagan gods, but it hadn't turned out half-bad. Not that Sam would ever admit it, of course.

"I'd say," Sam said instead, "we should stop by another kind of store."

-

Castiel inspected the wrapped present with an expression nearing horror.

"It's a box," he said.

Dean rubbed his hands together. "Yeah. Open it."

Castiel seemed completely lost, so Sam sat on the bed next to him and ripped a corner of the paper. "You take off the paper and open the box."

"I see."

He tore into the paper with his fingers and let it fall to the floor. When he managed to rip it all away, Sam read the words "Happy birthday" printed on the otherwise plain white box.

"But it's not my day of birth," Castiel said. "I thought it was a holiday."

"It is," Dean said, "but you don't know your birthday, so I thought…we thought we'd pick one for you."

"I don't need a pretend birthday."

Dean's jaw clenched, and Sam spoke quickly. "Don't think of it so much as a day to pretend you were born. Think of it as a day we celebrate knowing you."

"Oh," Castiel said again, but this time, recognition dawned on his face. "You like knowing me."

Sam nodded. "You got it."

Castiel opened the box and withdrew a green knit sweater. In true Dean style, it had a Christmas tree on the front and the image of lights strung around the sweater.

"It's in case you get sick of the trenchcoat," Dean said, grinning. "Gives you another option."

Sam stood and walked over to a table underneath the window. He hadn't figured Castiel would care much about cake, but he knew alcohol was something all three of them enjoyed, so he started mixing brandy in a bowl of egg nog.

"I also put a plain shirt underneath," he said.

Castiel shifted the sweater. "Yes, I see. Thank you."

"Try it on," Dean said as he pat him on the back. "See if it fits."

As Castiel took the box into the bathroom, Dean held out his hands triumphantly. "Am I a friggin' genius, or what?"

"Or what," Sam said, but he was smiling too. "You want some egg nog?"

"Oh yeah."

Sam handed him a cup, and was gratified to see Dean choke and gasp after a sip.

It was Sam's turn to choke when Castiel stepped out of the bathroom in the sweater, forcing a large smile on his face. Dean held up his hand and winced as if the sight of Castiel hurt his eyes.

"Geez, Cas," he said. "Tone down the expression a little, will ya?"

"I was trying to show my appreciation."

"The 'thank you' was fine."

Castiel resumed his neutral expression. Which, come to it, looked a lot more dejected over a wacky Christmas sweater. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, try some of Sam's egg nog."

He took a cup from Sam, and Sam laughed as he downed the drink without flinching, and Dean's faux-distress at his ease. As Dean started giving him crap, Sam moved back toward the window to get his own glass, and watched the Christmas lights in the window blink as snow fell outside.

Maybe Dean was a genius after all.


End file.
